Embedded MEMS for health monitoring and management of civil infrastructure

Abstract

Civil engineering structures are large and their damage mechanism is complex requiring a large number of inexpensive, spatially distributed and wirelessly powered embedded sensing devices that support frequent and on-demand acquisition of real-time information about their state. Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) seem to have the necessary characteristics to meet these requirements. MEMS technology, such as, sensors, actuators and other engineered components can be embedded into concrete structures to provide sensing and interaction capabilities. By embedding active electronics with MEMS, the ability of the concrete structure to interpret its environment is improved. However, many challenges must be met in order to develop a mature MEMS technology for structural health monitoring (SHM). These challenges are primarily technical in nature and need to be addressed before this emerging technology can be implemented in different civil engineering structures. The objective of this paper is to study the feasibility of embedding MEMS devices into concrete material for conditioning and health monitoring of civil infrastructure. A research program was conducted to evaluate the durability and sensing capability of different embedded MEMS devices, and the findings are presented here.